FCC Media Bureau Seeks Comments on TiVo's HD Set-Top Waiver

The Federal Communications Commission’s Media Bureau wants input on TiVo's request for a 12-month waiver of FCC rules that will require cable operators to ensure high definition set-top boxes "comply with an open industry standard" for home networking by Dec. 1, 2012.

TiVo isn't sure what the FCC means by "an open industry standard" in the rule. The DVR maker noted in its July 25 waiver request that the Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) standards-development consortium has "made important strides, in its published standards and specification references, toward some common understanding of what will constitute 'an open industry standard'" that fulfills the regulatory requirement. However, the DLNA activity is "not sufficient for TiVo to develop a robust retail product (hence, interoperable with all systems to which any retail customer may subscribe) that may also be supplied to cable operators," the company said. TiVo requested a waiver of the open industry standard requirement to last until 12 months after cable operators have deployed at least 100,000 set-tops from Cisco Systems and 100,000 from Motorola that comply with the rule. "Once TiVo understands exactly what open industry standard the industry is adopting so TiVo can create its own specifications, TiVo projects that implementation will take approximately one year," the company said.